Human Rights

Whose side am I on? That’s the question I find myself asking after reading the statement drawn up by Artists for Palestine, and signed by over 700 British artists and self-styled “cultural workers,” announcing their cultural boycott of Israel last week (see Jeremy Deller, Ed Atkins, and Hundreds of UK Artists Support Cultural Boycott of Israel). Declaring their solidarity with ... Read More »

Translations of this item: Dutch The problem is about the conservative culture in which the Turks take much pride. Child brides and buying brides (mostly in return for gold or cattle), are fine. Killing your daughter because she was raped is from a tradition to protect family honor. Killing your daughter because she fell in love with a boy is ... Read More »

The latest uprising at the Willacy County Correctional Center began quietly on Friday morning, when prisoners refused to go to their work assignments or to breakfast. The Nation – Zoë Carpenter Then, inmates broke out of the massive Kevlar tents that serve as dorms. Willacy County Sheriff Larry Spence told reporters some had kitchen knives, sharpened mops and brooms. Prison officials ... Read More »

In a major speech yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, outlined plans that he says will keep Australia safer from terror attacks. ABC Gippsland Mornings with Jonathon Kendall – by Elise Kinsella These measures include revoking or suspending citizenship of duel nationals who have been involved in terrorism and restricting the rights of Australian citizens involved in terrorism. Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, ... Read More »

The Australian government has hailed its “stop the boats” policy as a success. So much so that they’ve closed 11 detention centers in the past year, a number that will soon include Darwin’s Bladin Alternative Place of Detention, as announced over the weekend. Bladin, which houses families and children, will close its doors on April 7, only months after the ... Read More »

In two years’ time, a big-time Indonesian heroin smuggler will become eligible for parole in the Australian prison system. If it is granted, he’ll be taken to the airport and flown back home to his family. The Sydney Morning Herald – Michael Bachelard Kristito Mandagi is one of three Indonesians who, like condemned Bali nine members Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, ... Read More »

FOR far too long there have been unwarranted attacks by government leaders on our independent courts, tribunals and other institutions which protect the public and make the government accountable. It is time to stop. The Advertiser – Rocco Perrotta * Recently, no less than the Prime Minister has been highly critical of the President of the Human Rights Commission and ... Read More »

Malcolm Turnbull did his homework before Monday’s appearance on the ABC’s Q&A program. Knowing last week’s report on children in immigration detention would be raised, he came briefed by new Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and armed with the latest statistics. The Age - Michael Gordon, Political editor, The Age Unlike his ministerial colleagues, Turnbull chose not to take aim at the messenger, ... Read More »

Turnbull’s supporters love his peacock performances. But his defence of Philip Ruddock and the government’s asylum seeker policy are no improvement on Abbott The Guardian – Richard Ackland Malcolm Turnbull’s peacock performance on Monday night’s Q&A kept his adoring audience spellbound. Surely, though, he was having a lend of us. In particular, he expected us to swallow two unswallowable assertions: Philip ... Read More »

Intelligence agencies have been monitoring conversations between lawyers and their clients for past five years, government admits The Guardian – Alan Travis and Owen Bowcott The regime under which UK intelligence agencies, including MI5 and MI6, have been monitoring conversations between lawyers and their clients for the past five years is unlawful, the British government has admitted. The admission that the ... Read More »